A year and a half after plans for Bass Pro Shops were announced, the 100,00-square foot store opened for business in St. Augustine.
The grand opening Nov. 20 drew an overflow crowd of outfitter enthusiasts who also used nearby retailer lots to park.
Bass Pro sells hunting, fishing, outdoor gear and sporting goods.
It is at 355 World Commerce Parkway on 18.11 acres, south of Buc-ee’s and Costco Wholesale. It is west of Interstate 95 at the International Golf Parkway exit, south of World Golf Village.
Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
To accommodate the influx of customers, the neighboring Costco parking lot also was used, as was Buc-ee’s and even the side of the road in the grass.
St. Johns County’s Sheriff’s Office directed traffic.
Celebrities from the fishing world on hand, included television show hosts Bill Dance, Diego Toiran, Ronnie Green and George Poveromo; sport fishermen Roland Martin and Charlie Evans; and blogger and author Eva Shockey.
Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd also attended, along with Jaguars linemen Mitch Morse and Brandon Scherff and former quarterback David Garrard.
Professional angler and TV show host Jimmy Houston was the emcee for the evening that included performances by musicians John Anderson and Tim Dugger.
“We want to thank everybody for coming here to help us celebrate the opening of this new Bass Pro Shops right here in St. Augustine, Florida,” Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris told the crowd. “This is a daydream night.”
Shockey said she agreed to appear out of respect for Morris.
“Johnny Morris invited me and when Johnny Morris asks you to do something, you do it,” she said.
Store general manager Todd Blanchard thanked the staff who worked to put the store together in the weeks leading up to the opening.
“I’ve got to say thank you to a lot of folks but especially to the hardworking group of people to my right,” he said. “They spent the last 33 days putting it together and I might be a little biased, but this is the best store in the company.”
The event also served as an “Evening for Conservation.”
As part of the “Evening for Conservation,” Bass Pro Shops donated 20% of every dollar spent to the local community and its affinity groups.
Morris said 10% of that will be directed to local conservation organizations and an additional 10% to state hurricane relief efforts.
“Thank you for being here tonight to help us celebrate conservation and to raise some money and awareness for our future and that’s conservation,” he said.
